Summer... A Story in Pictures

I thought that once summer vacation began things would slow down, and I'd clearly have all this extra time I'd spending lounging around the house, catching up on TV and taking naps.  WRONGGGGGGGG.  It's been spent in a flurry of organizing, cleaning, party planning, packing, enjoying family visits, traveling and a whole other slue of every day adventures.  In fact, I think the summer has been busier than the entire school year combined.  I'm winding down the last two weeks of summer and the mom guilt of the hectic schedule of summer has gotten the best of me, so we fully plan on packing in as much fun as we can.  Next years resolution will be to stop, smell the roses, and have fun.  The work can wait.    

Life with a two-year-old is a nonstop roller coaster of emotions, giggles, tears, tantrums.  We're always on the go, there's never a dull moment, and we wouldn't trade it for the world.  Landon's talking NONSTOP.  He's inserting his independence on any and all matters and our new current phrase is "What's that" (most of which he's asking about he already knows the answer to.)  Life simply couldn't be better.      

This is what happens when you take your toddler to an adult party, he obviously finds it the opportune time to soak through his pants and OF COURSE, you forget your diaper bag... The result you just rock out in your underwear.  

Landon meets snocone, summer camp edition.  

We are two parents that believe that a child should have chores, first up, take care of your puppies.

Celebrating 6 years of marriage.   

Living proof that they love each other.  No denying it now.  

They always look so sweet and innocent when they sleep... it's almost like Jaws lurking in the water.  Cue theme music.

As birthday tradition has it, we, like everyone else, took Landon out to his favorite resturants for dinner and dessert.  Lucky for us, he's a cheap date and only two so we dined at Moe's and Yorgurtland.  

Landon's birthday party went off without a hitch, obviously not without a ton of effort, and I'm pretty sure my mother-in-law will never come the week before Landon's birthday party!  She worked to the bone helping me craft and create all these Pintrest jems.  It takes a small village to put all this up and organize one of these parties, so a huge thank you to all the family that helped.

We were simply overwhelmed by the love that was shown to our little boy.  We had childless friends come (which I seriously doubt a second birthday party was at the top of their social calendar,) Landon's friends (and their sweet parents) and most importantly our family who traveled so fart to come support us.  He had two Grandmas, a Grandpa and an Uncle.  I mean how lucky can this little boy get!    

With a break in the heat we couldn't pass up an adventure to Stone Mountain! 

Just doing his diaper dance on the top of the mountain.  

Hanging with his best pal, Uncle Jonathan.  

Here are the rest of the family photos we took back in May! 

 Forth of July!  

Landon was fascinated with the fireworks BUT only if someone was hold their hands over his ears.  

Landon and his big modeling debut!  He's not really a baby model, just a cute baby my friend Gina steals when a photo opportunity arises.  

One day, Landon, I'm sure you're going to read this blog and think... WTF, you two went on all these vacations without me?  You're so mean!  The answer, yes Landon, yes we did.  You're toddler ways would totally be a big rain cloud on our plans of doing nothing but reading good books and drinking cocktails while sunbathing.  One day bud, one day.  

Jamaica.  Was.  Paradise.  

Our daily view.

Pirate Kevin ready to rule the seven seas. 

Paradise. 

Our last night out.  :(  

Meanwhile... back in Georgia.  I don't think that Landon was slumming it AT ALL.  He had a special babysitter and we couldn't tell who had more fun together, Aunt Moe or Landon.  Between special trips for hot dogs, trips to the splashpad and before dinner popsicles, I think it's safe to say they had a great time!  

With two weeks left to go, I decided everything around the house could wait, errands could be taken care of later and fun MUST be had with Mom.  

Mommy date. 

Playdate with one of our favorite friends, Zoey. 

Our favorite treat from the food trucks (and the only thing we'll actually eat when we're there.) 

This kid has the life.  

Someone (people) found the bag of chocolate chip cookies.  

Happy (Belated) Birthday Landon!

I'm a few weeks late posting this, please don't think I'm a terrible mother Landon.  This blog is mostly for you, to look back at and see what you were like at two.  Time simply got away from me as I slaved away on crafting the perfect birthday party for you.  So, here's my birthday blog to you a few weeks late.  I love you!  

  

Happy, happy birthday to you, our sweet Landon.  We can hardly can believe that two years ago we met you for the first time.  We had no idea how much you'd change our lives and how much you'd make our hearts grow.  The past two years have been the most fulfilling years of our lives.  

The doctors told me while I was in labor, that you were coming into this world with a lot to say, and boy oh boy was he correct.  At two years old you don't ever seem to stop talking, like, ever.  You're making complete sentences, and are insistent on us repeating what you've said, just so that we are sure to be on the same page as you.  There are many times that we're shocked at what comes out of your mouth, no no, nothing bad, just new words or sentences that we didn't think possible for a two year old to know.  We love hearing your chitter chatter, it puts the biggest smile on our faces, even if it's the same sentence repeated over and over... and over.   

You have quite the obsession with cars, trains, planes and construction vehicles.  Your dad just said to me, he's all boy.  He's right, you've turned into all boy.  You've memorized every construction vehicle and can tell us what they do.  Excavators seem to be your absolute favorite "scooping dirt" as you often tell us.  

Until just a few days ago you had an OBSESSION with baseball hats.  Not just ANY baseball hats, but these specific Nike hats.  You really prefer the grey and blue hat but occasionally we could trick you into wearing the red without having a meltdown.  You wore them from the time you woke up until the time you went to bed for the night, yes you wore them to nap in.  In the past two days you have not even mentioned a hat.  What I really think happened is that it's currently too damn hot to be wearing them and you wised up.  Whatever the case, your father is rejoicing that this phase is over.  

You LOVEEEEE your puppies.  "Vedder Pumpkin and 'Nolli."  They're often the first think you're looking for in the morning, and God forbid that they aren't in the bed with us for morning snuggles.  You have a much gentler side with Vedder, maybe you sense his age and that he won't put up with your rough shenanigans.   Poor Cannoli... he's the victim of your sword attacks, tail grabbing, and flailing limbs.  You love throwing your toy balls for them, chasing them around the house or tormenting them with remote control cars.  You adore them, and they, for the most part, adore you.

  

You love, love, love your best pal "Funny" aka a brown bunny that Aunt Moe bought you one visit.  You almost never leave the house with him, and you can usually find him riding in your "pocket" which is actually your shirt collar.  There have been many times your father and I have had heart attacks on the location of Funny, if he was left somewhere, and then calculating what time the nearest JellyCat store has closed and do we have enough time to find a replacement.  Thankfully, he's always been located.  He goes to school, he goes out to lunch, he even goes swimming with you!  You also LOVE "Big JellyCat" which is a giant dog, about the same size as you and he absolutely must be in your bed for nap time and bedtime.  We often have to diaper and dress Big JellyCat.  

All the things I just talked about are just the tip of the iceberg on why we love you so much.  You are the biggest ray of sunshine in our lives.  You're cheerful disposition is so contagious, you turn around the worst of moods with one giggle.  Words cannot adequately describe what you mean to us.  We love you so much Landon, we can't wait to watch you continue to grow into the amazing human you're bound to be!  

Love, 

Mom and Dad 

(& Vedder Pumpkin and 'Nolli) 

Here Come The Terrible Twos

Two years ago Kevin and I thought about how our social lives, and life as we knew it was going to slow to a crawl, and we would have all this ample free time to do things around the house, because clearly we'd just be housebound with a tiny human.  Two years later, I can tell you that it's certainly not the case.  In fact we have less time.  We have events to attend for Landon, we sneak in time to go on dates and hang out with our friends, and we drag along a toddler to outings and adventures.  And then, when we get home from all these said adventures, we're in bed a solid 2 hours earlier than we ever were before.  9:30 is now an acceptable bedtime.  More simply put, I cannot keep up with the craziness of our lives!  Extra time does not exist with children.  

We enjoy all our adventures and so does Landon.  Keeping in line with his parents he tends to get stir crazy if we don't make it out of the house at least once a day.  If you don't... then WATCH OUT, you're going to have a cranky, tornado of a child on your hands.  I think his motto is "What good is life if you're not out exploring?"  Thankfully our summer is chalk full of adventures, birthday parties, visitors, trips, the fun just doesn't seem to end.

I have always said I love toddlers and twos.  I think those ages are so much fun.  I however am realizing that I may enjoy it more when it isn't my child and I can ship them back off to their parents at the end of the day.  There's this new found emotion that awakens in a human at the age of two, an opinion.  An opinion on what he should wear, an opinion on what to eat, and opinion on what you can and cannot play with.  When your child realizes there are actually choices, and he's allowed a say, your life officially goes down hill and you put on 10 years to your life.  And when the inevitable moment happens when you pull the parent card, and veto said opinion... well then WATCH OUT FOLKS!  There will be a tantrum in five... four... three....   We've officially joined the ranks of the people who have to throw their child over their shoulder, kicking and screaming and remove them from a public place. So.  Much.  Fun.  I know, I know, this is normal toddler behavior, and in the grand scheme of things we aren't raising Veruca Salt.  He really is an easy, down to earth child.  But MAN, a tantrum is enough to stop time, raise your blood pressure and make you poor a yourself a drink, or two.

Landon's cruising along developmentally.  He's already started talking in 4-6 word sentences and you can usually understand most of what he says.  He's very insistent that you repeat what it is he's said to make absolute sure you're on the same page. Most days I feel like Landon's parrot.

He's become obsessed with singing his ABC's, although he's personally deemed A-G unnecessary and starts at H.  He loves to count from 1 - 12, although 6& 7 are just worthless and he tends to leave them out.  After he's finished these tasks, as most people would, he congratulates himself and says "Yeah, Good job Landon!"  

                                 

A little Friday "fun" after a dinner date with my two favorite gentlemen.

                                

Motorcycle concentration. 

We have a little park next to our neighborhood and they recently built up an area where people could buy a plot, and grow fruits and veggies.  So we decided to chip in with the neighbors and buy a plot to show the children were the food we eat comes from!  It's probably been more fun for us then the children but they have fun too!

                   

Wheeling our produce to the garden to plant!

              

Planting our food!  

What our overgrown garden looks like 6 weeks later!

                               

A little light bed cleaning. 

                               

Helping mom pick out a derby hat. 

Our favorite art festival!

What more could a little boy want in life than an excavator in their backyard?  

Well, we now know what Landon thinks of Mother's day!  Celebrating with the little one that calls me mom.  

We thought we'd take a nice family photo on the stairs of our home.... What we got while hilarious, was not so nice.  They're now framed and hanging up in our home. This is life in the Freaney Circus.

Just watching the planes go by.

Airplane park with two of his best friends.  

An important day in a young man's life. When his dad teaches him how to make his pasta sauce.

Watermelon Season!

Who needs mom when you've got Aunt Mallory?

A rose between three thorns.  

Sharing a Popsicle with mom, not cool.  With your friend, totally fine.

Oh, I'm sorry, is this chair not mine?

Summer vacation is clearly meant for the zoo.  

Pure, summer joy.

We recently just took family pictures, and we have fallen in love with our sneak peak.  We can't wait to see what other beautiful shots the photographer caught.  Hopefully she got some more of Landon smiling, as he was less than thrilled that we weren't at the park to look at ducks and play on the playground!  

A little Sunday, fun day.  

The sun never sets on a badass.